Red sander smugglers and woodcutters had turned aggressive.
Representational image
Nellore: Inspector-general of police, Rayalaseema Range, V. Venugopala Krishna on Sunday justified his call to police and forest officials involved in combing operations in Seshachalam forest to retaliate if they are challenged by red sander smugglers or woodcutters. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Krishna alleged that red sander smugglers and woodcutters had turned aggressive and were pelting stones at task force teams over the past two months, which led to his direction that they should be dealt with a firm hand.
The IG said the woodcutters from Tamil Nadu appeared not to care about their lives or that of the forest and police personnel, going by their “invasion” into the Seshachalam forest after a lull. “When our officers asked a 60-year-old woodcutter from Tamil Nadu why he was risking his life, he said he was insured for Rs 5 lakh by those who were sending him to chop red sander trees. He said one of his family members was certain to get a government job if anything happens to him,” Mr Krishna said.
He said the woodcutters would turn hardcore smugglers if stringent action was not taken, as had happened in case of car drivers of smugglers who became smugglers themselves over a period of time. "They are coming to Kurnool via Bengaluru and entering the Seshachalam forest as we have intensified searches in all the entry points to Chittoor
from Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government should take steps to prevent them from venturing into our forests," the IG said.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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